


Far Longer than Forever

by HawkyBarton



Series: Fairytale Avengers [5]
Category: Swan Princess (1994), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Swan Princess AU, fic req
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22029715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HawkyBarton/pseuds/HawkyBarton
Summary: The Starcy Swan Princess AU one person asked for, but everyone deserves
Relationships: Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers
Series: Fairytale Avengers [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/330109
Kudos: 41





	Far Longer than Forever

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, there lived a wise king by the name of Thor. His kingdom loved him, and under his rule, the nation prospered. But yet, he was still sad, because he was growing old and had no children to take over for him when he eventually passed away. 

Then one day, happily, a daughter was born. She was given the name Darcy, and the entire kingdom rejoiced with King Thor. When the child turned three months old, Kings and Queens came from all over the world to celebrate the new Princess and bring her presents and good will. Among these were the Widowed Queen Jane Foster, and her son - Steven. Steven was only a few years older than Darcy, and both the King and Queen happened upon the same idea. 

Steven and Darcy would be brought together every summer in hopes that one day love would blossom between them, and their two neighboring kingdoms could be made into one. The plan was one that brought joy to everyone present. 

Except for one. 

Unknown to anyone else in the kingdom that day, there was another plan afoot. It was that of the evil sorcerer, Loki of the Frost Giants. He didn’t care about Darcy’s birth, for he had already made plans to take over Thor’s kingdom with his magic. However, on the day of his attack, Thor’s men ambushed Loki and captured him before any damage could be done. They were able to bind Loki’s magic, and despite calls for his death, King Thor only banished Loki from the kingdom. 

“Some day, Thor, I will get my powers back!” Loki cried, shrugging off the guards that had been holding onto him. “And when I do… everything you own, everything you love  _ will be mine!”  _

Thor clenched his jaw but did not retaliate. He pointed a solitary finger towards the sorcerer and waited until the man’s form faded into the light of the setting sun. 

Many feared King Thor too kind, but the threats were soon forgotten as the excitement of the upcoming summers overshadowed it. For it wouldn’t be long until Princess Darcy and Prince Steven would be brought together for the first time. 

  
  


  
*******

King Thor had Princess Darcy pressed tight against him as they rode up to the gates of Queen Jane’s castle. 

“Do I have to papa?” Darcy asked quietly. 

Thor smiled and pinched her cheek, making her giggle. “Yes, little one. Princesses and Princes meet every day, you’ll do just fine.”

“But what if I don’t like him?”

“You’ll like him.”

“But what if I  _ don’t” _

“You will”

“But-”

“ _ Enough  _ Darcy, we’re almost there. Be polite, understand?”

Darcy pouted, “Yes papa”

King Thor smiled down at his daughter as their horses arrived in front of Queen Jane and her son. Queen Jane welcomed them as they both got down from their horses. 

Immediately upon setting her feet on the ground, she was prodded in the direction of Prince Steven. It seemed Queen Jane was also shoving at Prince Steven because the boy seemed to stumble in her direction with a quick whine in his mother’s direction. 

The Queen shot him a stern look, making him sigh. 

He bowed in Darcy’s direction. “Hello Princess,” he mumbled. 

She curtseyed back, trying to be polite. “Pleased to meet you”

He shot his mother a look, “Do I have to?”

“Yes”

Steven grimaced and quickly grabbed Darcy’s hand to press a kiss to the back of it. Both the Prince and the Princess had to hold their tongue lest they cried out in horror at how gross that had been. 

That set the tone for the rest of that summer. 

While the Queen and King were making plans on how to combine their kingdoms, Darcy and Steven took turns tormenting each other. 

If Steven put a frog under her sheets, the next day a rat was under the cover for his dinner. If he tripped her while they were playing tag, she pushed him in the pond while they were playing hide and seek. 

Suffice to say, they didn’t like each other. They weren’t looking forward to more summers together.

  
  


*******

Several years passed, and the two were now almost teenagers. 

“Darcy, what in the world are you doing?!” King Thor called up to his daughter as she stood on her balcony, clearly not ready to leave. “We can’t be late!”

“I don’t want to go! You  _ know  _ I get sick on boats, plus I haven’t washed my hair in almost a week!”

King Thor rolled his eyes, “Either you come down or I’m sending a guard up there”

“Ughhhhh, I’ll be down in five minutes”

  
  


~

While the King and Princess were traveling in the boat over to their kingdom, Queen Jane was having the same problem with Prince Steven. 

“Are you practicing your sword fighting on a dummy with Princess Darcy’s face on it?”

Prince Steven smiled, “Yup.”

“Please stop, it’s rude and they’ll be here soon.”

He grimaced and stabbed at the form once again. “You make me kiss her hand again, I’ll be sick mother”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Take a bath dear, you stick worse than that little friend of yours, Chucky”

“Bucky”

“Same difference.”

“Thanks, mother”

  
  


~

Princess Darcy tried harder to try and not be rude this summer after having gotten in so much trouble last year for cutting Steven’s hair off. Unfortunately, Steven and his friend, Bucky, weren’t willing to play along. 

“Please wait up!” She cried as she tried to catch up to the two boys. 

Steven laughed as they sped up, “We’ve tried all summer but she just won’t give up!”

“We’re almost at the treehouse, we’ll lose her there!”

The two boys laughed as they climbed up the rope ladder to their treehouse, and pulled it inside just as she arrived. 

“This really isn’t fair!” She yelled up at them. 

“We really couldn’t care!” They mocked back at her. 

“Oooohhh!!! I hate you both!” She shrieked, kicking at one of the pillars in her anger. 

She hadn’t accounted for the fact that the boys had made this tree house themselves, so it wasn’t stable in any way shape or form. So when she kicked the pillar, the whole structure came crumbling to the ground. 

She ended up leaving that summer with a broken arm and a concussion, the boys staying there in the kingdom with broken legs and bruised ribs. 

“What am I going to do with you?” Both parents asked their children. 

  
  


*******

A couple more years passed and both children have started to grow into the bodies, coming into the teenage years. They finally stopped with their foolish antics, instead choosing to spend the summers as they wanted, only coming together when they had no choice (or there was nothing else left to do). 

Steven crossed his arms and scoffed. “Look at her, she’s flirting with the castle guards!”

Bucky looked at his friend, and then back over to where Darcy was talking to the guard. He didn’t see her flirting with the guard, but thought it funny that's what Steven was seeing. “I think you kind of like her Stevie. Maybe you should tell her, it would make your mother happy”

“Ugh, don’t make me sick. Come on, it’s raining out so we might as well play cards”

“Oh, a card game? Can I play?” Darcy said from behind them, coming from out of nowhere. 

Steven sighed, “Fine. But don’t cheat!”

“I would never cheat”

Steven grunted, making Bucky laugh. 

Darcy didn’t cheat, but she did beat them both ten to none. They didn’t actually argue that summer, so Queen Jane and King Thor considered it a sign that they were close to falling in love. 

  
  


*******

They weren’t close, at least not yet. It was another couple of years before the fateful summer actually did arrive. Both the Prince and the Princess had fully come into their own. Darcy with grace, wit, charm, and beauty. Steven with cunning, bravery, and a blinding smile. 

But they both still dreaded the summer. It had been almost twenty years since they had first met, and they were tired of constantly being pushed together. Both yearned to be free to make their own choices and fall in love with someone of their own choosing. 

But unfortunately, that was not a choice they would ever be given. At least they got to know each other before they were forced to be married. They both had several royal friends who didn’t know their betrothed until they arrived at the wedding. 

Didn’t make it any easier. 

This particular summer was being kicked off by a dance for the kingdom. The servants were rushing to get everything prepared so they would be able to enjoy the festivities later in the evening. Both Steven and Darcy were shoved into the dance hall by their prospective parents while the band was practicing for their performance later in the evening. 

Both Steven and Darcy stared at opposite walls, waiting for the other to turn around first. Their standoff lasted several minutes before it was finally Steven who broke. 

He quickly spun around, “Hello Princ-”

His words got cut off as she also spun around. He was absolutely stunned by what he saw. Had she changed so much in just a year? Or was it he that had changed? Before him stood Darcy, and she always had been. But this summer, there was just something  _ more  _ there. Something he had never seen before. Maybe it was the way the sun made her eyes glisten, or maybe it was the way the soft breeze shifted her brown hair around her shoulders. Or maybe it was the subtle music playing in the background that just stirred something inside him.

Darcy was feeling a lot of the same emotions. But her’s weren’t quite as intense as Steven’s. She had made a startling discovery last summer when she had seen Steven read to a small orphan boy that she  _ maybe  _ liked Steven. She had always thought him handsome, but it was his character that she had found lacking. Last summer changed that slightly. She was hoping to see more of it this summer, but she hadn’t been holding her breath. But when she turned around and saw him for the first time in a year, there was definitely something there. It was in his eyes and the curve of his mouth. It was softer this year, sweeter. 

The two drifted towards one another, and by chance fell into a soft waltz. It matched perfectly with the music the band was playing, and they stared into each other’s eyes. They told each other their without words what they wanted to say. Words of love glanced from one form to the next as they waltzed around the room, until Steven couldn’t take it anymore, and kissed her. 

It wasn’t Darcy’s first kiss, in previous years she had aggressively kissed a stable boy to spite Steven because he had laughed at her for being inexperienced. Now she wished she hadn’t. This kiss was unlike any other, and it should have been her first. But she couldn’t change the past, so she just fantasized about the future kisses she would receive from him. 

Steven pulled away first, his emotions too much for him. “Arrange the marriage!” He called out, knowing that their parents were spying on them from one of the doorways. 

Apparently, their parents weren’t the only ones spying, because all of the sudden a whole hord of servants came spilling into the ballroom carrying one thing or another. They all had smiles and shouts of congratulations. 

Which made what Darcy was about to say so much worse. “Wait,” everyone froze.

“What?” Steven smiled at her and gripped her hands. “You’re all I ever wanted. You’re beautiful”

Darcy’s insides froze. Beautiful? Was that all he saw in her? Had her instincts been wrong? “Thank you… But what else?”

Steven frowned, “Huh?”

She sighed, “I’m beautiful, yes…. But what else? Is my beauty all that matters to you?”

Steven looked around in confusion.    
  


“Yes Steven,  _ what else??”  _ His mother hissed at him. 

“What else is there?” He said without thinking. 

Darcy’s heart felt like it broke in two. She  _ had  _ been wrong about Steven. He hadn’t changed at all. 

Everyone in the room knew that was the wrong answer, even Steven. BUt it was too late to take it back. 

Darcy’s eyes teared up, but she kept her head held high as she left the ballroom. Steven just watched her go, knowing that anything he tried to say now wouldn’t be accepted. 

The Queen and King decided not to prolong their suffering by making them stay together the whole summer. 

Three days later, after the festivities were done, Darcy and her father were back on their horses to go home. 

Queen Jane and Steven stood at the gates to watch them leave. Jane elbowed Steven at the waist. “Mother!”

She shot him a look. 

“Goodbye, Princess!” He said with a grunt, before looking back down at the floor. 

“Goodbye,” She said, not even looking back.

“ _ Goodbye?”  _ Her father prompted, not so subtly reminding her of her manners. 

“Goodbye… Prince Steven”

She let that be the last words spoken between the two of them and trotted off on her horse. She wanted to get a head start so no one would see her tears. 

Prince Steven watched them leave and stood there long after the last guard was no longer in sight. His mother was already back near the castle, but he could still hear her yelling about how many years they had wasted. 

He knew it was years wasted. But what was there to do now? 

“Hey Stevie, you alright?”

He turned to look at Bucky, shaking his head. “I messed up”

“That’s for sure. Maybe you should write a book. ‘How to lose a woman in 5 syllables or less’”

Steven sighed, “You’re not helping”

“Is there any help? Because I could give you my advice, but I know you’re too stubborn to listen to it”

“Try me”

“Go after her”

“Don’t try me”

Bucky rolled his eyes, “Of course. Come on, let’s go spar. Maybe that’ll knock some sense into you”

Steven shot one last look at the direction Darcy had left in, and followed Bucky to the sparring arena. 

Bucky threw a sword in Steven’s direction. “So what else is there?”

“Hmm?”

“I know you’re not shallow enough to only like Darcy for her beauty, so what else is there?”

Steven sighed and slipped a shield on his wrist. “I don’t know Bucky… I mean, something just clicked this year. It was like, I don’t know… But she was just, ya know, ya know?”

“No. That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth.”

Steven groaned, “I don’t know how to explain it. I mean, yeah, she’s always been beautiful. And she wins at cards without cheating, and she likes to go apple picking even though we have servants for that” 

Bucky swung his sword back and forth and got into stance. “Go on”

Steven copied the stance and thrust towards Bucky. “She’s smarter than I am but so naive in other ways”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Bucky said with heavy sarcasm as he parried. “I figured that out when you stupidly went ‘what else is there’”

  
“I know what I said was dumb! You don’t have to keep reminding me of my own stupidity”

“If I don’t, you won’t fix it”

“How can I?!”

Bucky knocked his shield against Steven’s shoulder, knocking him back a few feet. “What else do you like about her?”

Steven groaned, “I don’t know Buck. I’ve spent so long hating her, how am I supposed to figure out what I like about her?”

“Well obviously you wanted to since you announced you wanted to be married”

“Yeah, but that’s different”

“How?!!?”

“I wasn’t having to explain my feelings”

Bucky rolled his eyes, “I think you may be hopeless”

Steven groaned again, “Look. I don’t know how to say it, alright? I’ve never been good with words” 

Steven looked out at the horizon. “Wait, that’s it. I’ll prove it! I’ll prove it to her that beauty isn’t the only thing I care about”

Bucky looked towards the heavens, “Wow that plan sounds familiar. Glad you’re finally thinking straight. So… What’s the plan?”

  
  


*******

Now during the whole of the years, the long-forgotten sorcerer Loki had been steadily gaining back his powers. It had taken him almost twenty-three years, but he finally did it. Now it was time for his revenge. 

Standing on the edge of a winding road, Loki laid in wait for King Thor’s carriage to come around the bend. He was lucky he had sent his assistant Scott to spy on Queen Jane’s kingdom, or he never would have known that the King and Princess had left early. It was the perfect time for his attack. They had just switched from horses to their carriage. The quickest way to travel from one kingdom to the next by carriage was to take the winding path along the mountain, and the road wasn’t very wide. Not to mention it was a stormy night outside. 

Yes, it was perfect to exact his revenge. Plus, who would ever believe it had been him? 

No one. He was sure of it. 

When he could spot King Thor’s carriage coming along the bend, he stood in the middle of the path and waited. 

  
  


~

“I just don’t understand Darcy. What else was there?”

Darcy clenched her hands around the fabric of her skirt. “Beauty isn’t all that matters, father. You would know that better than anyone. I needed to know he loves me, just for being me”

The king sighed and opened his mouth, but was stopped by the sound of the coachman yelling at the horses. 

The carriage came to a stop.

“Father?”

“Stay inside Darcy”

King Thor gripped his sword in one hand and climbed from the carriage. There was something in the middle of the pathway. 

“What is this-”

His words were cut off when the figure standing in the roadway began to change. There was a bright light that flashed and suddenly before them stood a monstrous creature. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before. None of them stood a chance, and before they knew it, everything was destroyed. The monstrous beast disappeared as if he hadn’t even been there in the first place. In his stead, King Thor and one of his guards were the only men left standing. 

“Go back to the kingdom and get help. Steven and his men will help us” Thor murmured hurriedly to the guard. Time was of the essence. 

The guard was injured but was sure he could make it to the castle in time. “Yes Your Highness”

The man struggled to his feet, grabbed a horse, and took off in the direction of the castle. 

“Darcy?” The king called out but received no response. “Darcy? Please answer me!”

  
  


*******

Steven and Bucky were just putting away their weapons when the guard burst into the room and fell to the floor. 

“Dear god Bucky, it’s King Thor’s Captain!”

Both of them quickly dropped to their knees beside the man. 

“We were attacked, by some great animal” The man panted. “King Thor sent me to-”

Steven was already rising to his feet and running from the room. 

“Steven!” Bucky called out but knew he would receive no response.

“Idiot” Bucky murmured. “Let me help you stand, you’re in no condition to go back into that fight”

The man shook his head, “There’s nothing left to fight.”

“Just please tell me the King and Princess are alright?”

“I don’t… I don’t know”

“Aw, hell”

  
  


~

Steven pushed his horse to the limits trying to get to Darcy as quick as humanly possible. It seemed like no time at all before he arrived at their carriage. 

He was appalled at the scene he found there. Dead men were everywhere, the carriage completely destroyed, the horses lay on their sides in obvious pain, unable to be put out of their misery. 

“Darcy?! Darcy!!” He called out. 

A low moan was the only response. He hurried to where the voice had come from and had found King Thor laying against the wreckage of the carriage. He didn’t look like he had much time left. 

“King Thor!” He dropped down next to the older man. “What happened?”

“Steven”

“Who did this?”

“It was a great animal!” The older man said, gripping Steven’s hand in his own. “Please listen to me, it’s not what it seems! Remember, that it’s  _ not what it seems” _

“What isn’t? Where’s Darcy? Please tell me”

The man’s eyes began to water, the tears steadily sliding down his cheeks. “She’s gone”

“No, no!” Steven cried out, but there was no one to hear it, for the King had died. 

  
  


******

Many miles from that mountain top, Darcy and her captor were in his secret hiding place. It was an old run-down castle that belonged to a kingdom that no longer existed, surrounded by a beautiful lake that had flourished despite the lack of care. 

Darcy, in a shocking turn of events, had been transformed into a swan. See, Loki truly had regained his powers, and then some. This spell was powerful enough that it could transform one’s form into something completely different. He used this as a cruel way of trying to force Darcy’s hand into marriage. 

“Now don’t be too upset my dear, the spell doesn’t even last the whole day!” He said gleefully as he nudged Scott, who had been trying to give her something to eat, out of his way. “When the moon rises, you turn back into a human, see?”

Darcy did see, as the moon hit her wings, the spell transformed her back into her human self. 

“Yes, that’s how it works every night. You have to be on the lake of course” He said with a smirk. 

She shot him a dirty look, he shrugged. “You know how to break the curse”

“Never!” She tried to run away from him. 

“You can run as far as you want, but the second the sun rises you’ll be turned back into a swan. No matter the place”

Darcy froze in place and realizing the true depth of the horrible situation she was in, burst into tears.

  
  


*******

It was almost a full year after that terrible incident, and Steven still hadn’t given up hope that Darcy was out there somewhere. 

“There’s only so much practicing you can do Stevie,” Bucky said with a sigh as he prepared for yet another one of their practice sessions. 

“Practice makes perfect, and I have to be perfect to defeat the great animal”

“I know, I know. It doesn’t mean you have to drag me along. What if a bar maiden had wanted to spend her afternoon with me, hmmm?”

Steven shot Bucky a look. 

“Well it could happen”

“Mhmm, is everything ready?”

“Yes Your Highness, we can begin whenever”

Steven nodded and pulled on his blindfold. This particular game was a lot like “Catch and Fire”, but instead of using arrows, Bucky and Steven used a circular shield. Steven would face the opposite direction of Bucky with a blindfold on. He would rely on his sense of hearing and perception. Bucky, from the opposite side of the field, would throw the shield in Steven’s direction. Steven would have to time it correctly to grab the shield and throw it back in Bucky’s direction to knock a specific object (today was an apple) off of Bucky’s head. The game required a lot of trust, skill, and courage. It was the perfect thing to make sure he was on top of his game if he ever came along the great animal. 

He was glad it was Bucky that he was playing with. The other man was the only one that still believed with Steven that Darcy was still alive. Or, at least, he was the only one that didn’t outright disagree with Steven about her being alive. 

“Now!” Bucky cried, signaling to Steven that the shield was spiraling toward him. Steven bided his time, and just at the right second, spun to grab the shield and chucked it back in Bucky’s direction. Within seconds he heard the resounding noise of an apple being sliced in two and ripped off his blindfold. 

“You did it again!” Bucky cried out. 

Steven smiled and looked up at the sky. “I’m going to find you, Darcy, if it’s the last thing I do.”

  
  


*******

Natasha, a very smart and cunning turtle, watched as her idiot friend Clint made yet  _ another  _ plan to win a kiss from Darcy. See, Clint was a frog but positively  _ insisted  _ that he had been turned into a frog by a wizard and was actually a Prince. He just needed a princess to kiss him and he was back to being human. 

Natasha thought she had been human once, a hundred years or so ago (turtles lived a long time), but quite liked this form, so had no need for kisses to change it. She just wished Clint felt the same way. 

The idiot was currently making a plan to leap across the moat that led to some flowers on the other side. It wasn’t a particularly pretty flower, but it  _ was  _ purple, and that was Clint’s favorite color. It would have been a breeze, if not for the extremely hungry alligators who occupied the moat. 

“You sure about this?” She asked him yet again. 

“Go ahead and laugh, but when I get her those flowers she will kiss me, and then-”

“You’ll turn into a prince, I don’t need yet another rehash. Can I point out a problem?”

“Nope,” Clint had a long line a frond that he had connected and was going to use that to propel himself over to the other side. As Clint bent himself at the way with the fronds to get enough momentum, Natasha planted herself next to him. “But just a question, how are you going to get back?”

She saw the realization hit Clint right at the fronds snap and he was suddenly propelled out into the water. 

She watched in fond amusement as Clint screamed and fought off the alligators, the frond bouncing him back and forth in a never-ending cycle. It was about the fourth bounce when Darcy, in her human form, happened along the scene and saved Clint from yet another bounce. 

“Save me! Save me! Hold my arm, hold my leg, hold my- oh hi Darcy” He said with a smile as he looked upside down at her bemused expression. 

“You okay Clint?”

“Yep, all good.”

“So what plan was it today?”

“Flowers”

She rolled her eyes, “Yeah not gonna happen today. You know I can only kiss the man I love. And he must make a vow of everlasting love, and prove it to the whole world!”

Clint let out an exasperated, “What do you think I was doing with the flowers and the big ole alligators?”

  
“Being an idiot?” Natasha said with a smile.

“Awww, Tasha no”

Darcy laughed and patted Clint on his head. “Maybe next time, okay?”

“There’s hope!”

She chuckled and stood up, walking away from Clint and Natasha as they started to argue. 

“I still love you, Steven, I hope you know that” She whispered to the stars. Apparently, that was just the right moment to look up, because all of a sudden a bird fell from the sky. 

“Oh god, is he dead?” Natasha asked. 

She shook her head, “No. Look, there’s an arrow in his wing. Hold him down so I can get it out”

Clint and Natasha held the man down as Darcy got the arrow out and wrapped the wing with a torn-off piece of her dress. They all waited with bated breath as the bird slowly woke up. 

“What in the world?”

Darcy held her hands up, “Hey. Don’t freak out, we just saved you by getting this arrow out of your wing. Are you okay?”

The bird looked down at his wing, and then up at Darcy. “You saved me. I owe you a debt of gratitude”

“Oh… thanks”

“My name is Sam, Sam Wilson. Well, actually it’s Sargeant Wilson of the Falcon Army”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Princess Darcy” She held out her hand, which he gave a soft peck to, making her giggle. “These are my friends. Ms. Natasha Romanova of the turtle variety, and that little green thing over there is Clint Barton”

“ _ Prince  _ Clint Barton” He said with a huff. 

Sam looked at Darcy, she just shrugged. “He says he was put under a spell. Who am I to argue?”

“Ah…. Okay… But anyway, how can I be of service?”

Darcy shrugged. “There’s not much you can do. I was put under a spell, and unless you know Prince Steven of Marvel you can’t do much”

“You’re under a spell? Like voodoo and all that?”

She nodded. “And all that”

“Darcy?!” A male voice called out, it was Loki. 

“Oh no, I hadn’t realized it was quite that late. Natasha, Clint, hide him!”

“What? Why do I have to-” Clint wrapped a froggy hand around Sam’s beak, and along with Natasha dragged him behind a nearby bush. 

Darcy wiped her hands along her dress and stood up to wait for Loki. The man appeared and swept down to one down immediately. “Hello my little swan, are you willing to marry me today?”

“You know, you ask that question every day.”

  
“No, don’t say it”

“I give you the same answer every day”

The man frowned, “Don’t”

“You know I would rather die first”

Loki sneered and rose back to his feet. “You know one day my little swan, you’re going to say that to me I’m just going to lose my temper!”

Darcy rolled her eyes at the threat and turned away from Loki. “Mmmm, so high and mighty for someone about to turn back into a swan”

Darcy closed her eyes in despair as she realized that it was also time for sunrise. Within a minute the spell had transformed her once again into a swan. 

“Maybe tomorrow you’ll give me a better answer, hmmm? Scott will be along in a few hours to feed you and those nasty little friends you try and hide from me. Tah tah”

Darcy waited until Loki was completely gone before letting herself cry. 

  
  


*******

Queen Jane looked at her crown that had been just recently polished for the upcoming gala. “Absolutely stunning! Phil, make sure you tell whoever the new royal shiner is that they are a genius!”

Phil, her royal adviser, and assistant, smiled and nodded his head. “I’ll let FitzSimmons know, they’ll be beside themselves”

“Good. As they should be… But I am just so excited for the Kingdom to have a king again!”

“I doubt it, Prince Steven doesn’t seem like he’s giving up on the idea of Princess Darcy any time soon”

Jane waved a hand, “That will change after tonight’s ball. He just hasn’t been around any princesses lately, so he hasn’t seen what else is out there. Now, did everyone respond back?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Every last one of them is coming”

“Oh, how exciting! I just can’t wait!! One of these is just bound to change his mind. Now, where is Steven? Oh, never mind, I know where he is. In the library doing whatever research he needs to do about that animal thing he keeps talking about”

“Uh… yes, Your Highness. He’s in the library”

“Then we’ll just meet him there. Come along Phillip”

  
  


~

Steven just knew he was in for a breakthrough. He had gone through almost every single book in this library, so the answer had to be in one of the only books he hadn’t flipped through yet. 

“It’s not what it seems… It’s not what it seems” He muttered to himself as he flicked through some book on animals that had been outdated for at least ten years. He was about to throw the book to the side when something caught his attention. He wasn’t sure why it caught his attention, but it did. He had flipped through two pages, and by flipping through the pages it went from one animal to a completely different animal.

“My god, that’s it! It’s  _ not  _ what it  _ seems.  _ Bucky!!”

The other man, who had been dozing in his own pile of research books, jolting awake. “What? Who? Huh?”

Steven slid his way over to the other man and showed him the book. “It’s not what it seems!” He flipped between the two pages. “Do you get it? It’s  _ not  _ what it seems!”

“Are you saying we’re dealing with a damn shape-shifting monster thing?”

“Yes!” 

Bucky groaned and flopped back against his pile of books, “I was afraid that was your answer”

“Come on Bucky, we have hunting to do!”

“I was afraid you were going to say that too”

“Come on!”

Steven pulled Bucky to his feet and rushed them towards the doors of the library. At that moment his mother burst through the door, “They all said yes!!”

“That’s nice mother,” he said without paying attention as he tried to pass her. 

“Steven? Where are you going?”

“To find the great animal, mother!”

She frowned, “But the ball is tomorrow night!”

“Oh, mother I don’t have time for that righ-”

She shot him a look. 

“Alright, alright! If I leave now, I should be back by the ball tomorrow. But please tell me this isn’t one of your big productions?”

“Oh no!!! It’s just going to be a few friends, I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”

Steven smiled, “Thanks, mother. Come on Bucky” 

Bucky sighed, bowed to Queen Jane, and followed his friend out the library. 

“How is he going to feel when he comes to the ball tomorrow to one of your productions?” Phil asked her. 

“He’ll be fine. Now, make sure everything is ready by tomorrow afternoon please”

“Consider it done”

  
  


*******

“So let me get this straight,” Sam looked Darcy’s swan form up and down. “Every night you’re a beautiful princess… But the second the morning sun hits, you’re...” he gestured with his wing at her current form. 

“Yes, a swan. But I can only turn into my human form if I’m on the lake and the moon has risen. Otherwise I’m stuck like this”

Sam whistled, “What a dilemma”

Clint waved a froggy hand and leaned against Natasha. “Please, all she needs is a little moonlight. I have to be kissed”

Darcy rolled her eyes fondly. 

“Well, that’s not really a problem. We fly you to your prince, we bring him here, you transform into your human form and boom! Back to being a princess”

“Yeah it’s not that simple. I don’t even know how to find him”

Sam’s face dropped, “What do you mean you don’t know how to find him?”

  
“Sam, I don’t even know where  _ I  _ am, let alone be able to find someone else”

Natasha hummed and looked up the rundown castle. “I bet he does”

“Ohhh great idea! We could just go up to the castle and just say ‘Hello Mr. Loki sir, you don’t have a map we could use or something, I am quite ready to leave?’”

“That’s it!” Darcy cried. “A map!”

“Awww map, no”

  
  


~

Darcy, Sam, Natasha, and (begrudgingly) Clint made a plan to break into the castle and steal a map that she was sure Loki had. 

Darcy and Sam would keep an eye on things from the sky, as Clint and Natasha snuck into the castle. When Clint and Natasha discovered the map, Sam would join them inside, and Darcy would distract Loki’s assistant, Scott, so they could get out of the castle. 

Within fifteen minutes or so, after a perilous battle with Scott and his broom handle, the trio met Darcy outside with the map. She excitedly looked through it. “Perfect! When do we leave?”

The trio, covered in scrapes and bruises, just fell into their plans instead of responding. Darcy giggled, “Okay we’ll take a break first”

  
  


~

“Attention!” Sam called the rest of them a couple hours later. Darcy, Natasha, and Clint all turned to look at him. “It is almost time to go, Darcy are you ready?”

“Yes”

“The rest of you have your jobs, are you both ready. Natasha?”

“You got it, Sam”

“Good. Clint?”

“I’m going to regret it, but yes”

“Good! Take off!” Sam leaped into the air and Darcy followed behind. 

“Take good care of her, or my first human meal will be fried falcon!” Clint called after them. 

“Why are we best friends again?”

“Because you love me, Tasha”

  
  


********

Bucky and Steven crept through the forest later that day. “Stay close to me Stevie, it’s the only way I’ll know you aren’t out there doing something stupid”

Steven rolled his eyes, “Whatever you say, Buck”

Bucky sighed and tried to keep close to Steven, but it didn’t take long for them to separate. “Damn it, Stevie, where are you?” Bucky asked when he turned and didn’t find the other man. “Why did I trust you to stay close? Idiot”

Bucky took the bow and arrow set off his back and shot an arrow into the sky. “Stevie if you can see that, let me know you’re alive!”

  
  


~

Sam and Darcy were flying over the forest when an arrow swished past them.

“What in the world was that?” Sam asked. 

“Stevie if you can see that, let me know you’re alive!” They heard a voice say from down below.

Darcy gasped, “Sam that’s Bucky, Steven’s best friend. Oh god, he’s here Sam! He’s here in the forest!”

Sam flapped his wings harder to get in front of Darcy. “Hey, look at me. We have to stick to the plan, okay? Don’t lose focus now. Do you copy? Darcy, do you co-”

Darcy pushed past him, and flew down into the trees. 

“So that’s a no then… Darcy, come back!!”

~

Steven tramped through the forest, his sword at his side and his shield along his back. He had lost Bucky awhile back, but knew he didn’t have the time to circle back. He had to catch the great animal, or die trying. 

It was at that moment that something caught the corner of his eye. Turning, he spotted a beautiful pearl white swan. 

“A swan? Of course! It’s not what it seems” Steven pressed his back against a nearby tree and waited for the swan to come closer. 

Darcy had spotted Steven and was trying to fly to him as quick as possible. “I’m coming Steven, I’m coming!” She panted. 

Steven waited until the last possible moment, and jumped out from behind the tree. “This one’s for Darcy!” He cried as he swung his shield to knock the swan from the air. 

Luckily, Sam had finally caught up with Darcy and knocked her out of the way. 

“Damn it!” Steve cried as he chased down his shield and started to follow the two birds. 

“Whew that was close,” Sam said as they flew up into the sky. He looked down and could see the small figure of Steven chasing after them. “It’s working Darcy! He’s following up”

Darcy shook his head, “He’s too close.”

“Huh? What do you mean he’s too close?” He looked back down, “We can’t even see him anymo-” A shield came up and skimmed the feathers on their heads before falling back to the forest floor. “Well damn, your man can move. Keep going Darcy”

She sighed, “I told you he’s quicker than you thought!”

“Don’t worry Darcy, I have a perfect idea”

“Well, what is it?”

“We have to sit directly in front of the sun. He won’t be able to look at us”

Darcy and Sam quickly flew into the sun’s light. “Now we just stay here for as long as we can”

Darcy looked behind them. “Uh… Sam? The sun is setting”

“What?!” Sam turned around and saw the sun slowly begin to set. “Oh no, oh we’re in trouble. Where is he now?”

The shield swung past them again. It was a heavy enough shield that if it hit them, they would be seriously injured. 

“Quick! Into the trees!” Darcy cried, already diving towards the forest floor. Sam followed her quickly and hid amongst the foliage. Within minutes Steven was already back in their vicinity, his sword and shield at the ready. 

“We have to think of a plan quick!” Darcy hissed. 

Sam, flustered, looked around them for something they could use. “Ah! Berries! When all else fails,” he grabbed the berries and smashed them against his feathers. “Play dead!”

Winking in her direction, Sam slowly fell to the forest floor to play dead. 

Steven, startled, edged closer to the bird. “What in the-?”

Sam, seizing his moment, bit Steven on the foot as hard as he could before jumping back into the air. “Go Darcy! Go!”

Darcy let out a breath and departed the trees, already heading back to her lake. She only hoped Steven would follow and arrive  _ after  _ she had transformed. 

Steven let out a growl and followed behind the swan. They weren’t getting away from him this time!

Darcy and Sam flew as quick as they could to get back to the lake on time. Both Clint and Natasha were waiting for them. 

“It’s almost time Darcy” Natasha said when they arrived. 

“I’m scared guys, what if he tries to attack me?”

Clint sighed and looked to the sky. “As much as I would love to say ‘just stay here,’ I’m gonna be nice. If you don’t do this now, you may never get this chance again.”

Darcy let out a breath, “You’re right. I have to do this”

“That a girl!” Sam said, “Now go!”

Darcy nodded and quickly glided down to the lake below where they had been standing. 

“What are they doing?” Steven asked as he watched the swan settle along the lake. “This can’t be right”

Darcy settled on the lake and watched as Steven raised his sword. Her heart went up to her throat as she waited for the moon to hit her wings, but a cloud was covering it!

“No!!” She cried, already spinning around to look up at the moon. “Please, no!”

Steven crept forward, his sword at the ready. “This is for Da-”

His words got cut off as the cloud passed over the moon, and its beams finally hit Darcy. A blinding light covered her and there she was, back in her human form. 

Steven froze in shock, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

“Hello, Steven” Darcy said softly.

Steven felt his shield and sword drop from his fingers as he raced forward to lift her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her lips. 

“Oh Steven, I missed you so much”

“No one believed me beside Bucky, but I  _ knew  _ you were alive!”

Darcy smiled and brushed her fingers over his cheek. “You can’t stay”

“What do you mean I can’t stay? I’m never leaving your side again!!” He pulled her closer to his chest. 

She quickly pulled away, “Listen to me Steven, there-”

“Darcy?” A voice came from the distance. It was Loki, back again for their nightly ritual. 

“Oh no, you have to go!”

“Who is it? What’s going on”

“It’s him!” She hissed, pulling him along. 

“Him who?”

“He has me under a spell”

“Who does? Let me at him”

“Darcy?!”

“No!” Darcy said, grabbing at Steven’s arm. “No he has too much power, you have to go!”

Steven shook his head, “Then you’re coming with me”

“I wish I could, but when the sun rises I turn back into a swan. You  _ must  _ go”

Darcy kept pushing Steve, but he stopped. “There must be  _ some  _ way to break the spell”

“Oh there is. You have to make a vow of everlasting love, and prove it to the whole world”

Steven frowned, but then let out of a blinding smile. “There’s a ball tomorrow night. I’ll prove my love to you then, please say you’ll come”

“If I do, will you leave?”

“Yes”

“Then of course, now please go!”

Steven pressed another kiss to her lips and quickly left the lake, just in time for Loki to burst through the trees. 

“Princess?” 

“I’m here Loki”

“I can see that.. Why didn’t you answer me?”

Darcy paused for a moment, trying to think of a good excuse. “Uh… Because I.. Uhm… I just made a decision! I have decided that I am too tired to fight anymore, and I will become your Queen”

Loki’s eyebrows raised, “Wait really?”

“Yes?”

“That’s wonderful! I shall immediately dispatch Scott to make the arrangements, but first” Loki flicked his hands, and a shield and sword appeared in them. “Do you know who these belong to?”

Darcy froze in place, “I-i-i-”

“Don’t bother, I’m not an idiot. I know what you tried to do, and it won’t work!”

“I’ll never marry you Loki, never! Steven is going to save me”

Loki wrinkled his nose, “But is he though? Because if memory serves me, tomorrow night is a new moon. Which means, my dear princess, no moon for the lake”

Darcy went pale, she had forgotten about the moon. “No! No, you monster!!”

Loki just laughed and chucked the shield into the pond. “Maybe next time little princess… if I don’t get to your man first”

  
  


******

Steven burst through the ballroom doors, happiness fully grasped in his heart. His mother and the rest of her staff in full preparation mode for that night’s ball.

“Oh Steven, you’re back just in time!”

Steven grinned and grabbed his mother by the waist, spinning her round and round the room. 

“Steven, what in the world?!” Queen Jane said with a laugh. 

“I’m just happy mother, have you seen Bucky?”

“I thought he was with you?”

Steve hummed and waltzed around the room, picking up things here and there. “What’s with all the red? Shouldn’t this all be white? Like a swan”

“Like a what?”

“A swan mother, a perfectly white swan. You sure you haven’t seen Bucky?”

Queen Jane gripped Steve by the shoulders. “What’s all the fuss about Bucky?”

He gave her a dreamy smile, “Well who else is going to be my best man?”

The queen dropped her arms, “You mean?”

“Yes”

The queen let out a loud squeal, “Oh my goodness you  _ must  _ introduce me to her!”

“She’ll be here tonight mother”

“Oh, wonderful! Who is she??”

Steven gave his mother a wink, “You’ll know mother. You’ll know”

  
  


*******

“So what was the plan boss?” Scott said with a slight tilt to his head. 

Loki rolled his eyes, “So the spell that Darcy is under requires whomever she holds dear in her heart to show their undying love and prove it to the world, yadda yadda yadda. Why the spell has to have some sort of breaking clause, I’ll never know.  _ However,  _ if the dreamboat there proclaims his love to the  _ wrong  _ person, the princess goes bye-bye. Did you understand that time?”

“No I get the plan, I just don’t know how we’re getting Prince Steven to proclaim his love to someone else”

“Ah, my dear Scott. I am a master of disguises” Loki turned to the man, snapped his fingers, and took the form of Princess Darcy. 

“Woah”

“Woah is right. I’ll be going to the ball in the Princess’s place since she can’t make it. Stevie boy will pronounce his love to me, and boom! Dead princess, kingdom is mine for the taking.”

“Ah, okay. So what am I doing?”

“Watching the prisoners”

“There’s more than one?”

Loki groaned and changed back to his regular form. “Remember we captured the prince’s best friend? Dear Lord, I feel like you’re deliberately stupid to test my patience.”

“Nah boss”

Loki sighed, “Whatever. Just go make sure the princess is locked away in the tower with the boy”

“You got it!”

  
  


*******

Princesses from all countries around their region came piling into the castle that night for the ball. Steven just rolled his eyes at the elaborate affair his mother was throwing, he knew it wasn’t going to be small like she had said yesterday. His mother didn’t do small. 

He mingled amongst the guests as they slowly trailed into the ballroom, but his eyes were on the clock at all times. Every second he waited for Darcy, the more anxious he got. Plus Bucky was nowhere to be seen, which made things worse. 

“Come on” He murmured to himself constantly.

*******

“Hey, hey, hey, Princess… Please don’t cry!” Scott said as he threw down some food scraps for Darcy in the tower. The tower was originally a winding staircase that went from the dungeons to the turrets on the top of the castle. When the castle began to decay, the lake water found its way into the tower and completely destroyed the stairs. Now the only thing left was the water that filled the tower. 

“I’m not crying Scott, I’m just disappointed.”

Scott grimaced, “I’m sorry Princess. I would help you if I could”

“And why can’t you?”

“I’m indebted to Loki, and a Lang pays their debts”

“Well that sounds like a story”

“It is… Maybe I’ll tell you it eventually, but for now, I have to shove the other prisoner in with you and take my leave. Loki changed the plans and wants me to drive him in the carriage to Steven’s castle.”

Darcy frowned and looked up at Scott, “Other prisoner?”

“Oh yeah,” Scott disappeared from her line of view and came back a minute later, “Bucky Barnes, Prince Steven’s best friend. You must have met, right?”

“Bucky?” Darcy cried out as Scott gently shoved the man into the water with her. 

“Oh lord, Stevie really wasn’t making that magic stuff up? Or, am I dead? Not sure which I would prefer”

“Bye guys!!”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “You’re not dead.”

“That’s what I was afraid of… Any way we can get out of this water and go save Stevie’s ass… again?”

Darcy sighed and shook her head, “Not that I know of”

“Well shit”

  
  


*******

“There must be  _ some  _ way to get into the castle,” Sam said with a frown. 

“No, there’s no way to get into the tower from where we are. Not unless there’s a leak at the bottom of it” Natasha said with a hum.

“A leak! Of course! If the tower is slowly filling up with water, there  _ must  _ be a leak in the moat somewhere. We’ll have to find it and get in there to save the princess” 

“Yeah but that leak must be tiny, it would take someone extremely small to get through there,” Clint said thoughtfully.

Sam and Natasha looked at each other. 

“You know, you’re right” Natasha drawled. “It  _ would  _ take someone small to get through the leak”

  
“They would have to be an incredibly good swimmer too” Sam continued.

Clint looked between the two of them, “Why are you guys talking like that? Stop talking in hypotheticals because there’s no one else here besides - oh you meant me. Awww moat, no”

“You’re the only one of us that can, Clint. But don’t worry, we’ll back you up”

Clint groaned, “I better get a kiss out of this later, being a frog ain’t worth it.”

Sam and Natasha shot each other an amused look.

  
  


*******

Every single princess had arrived that night, but there was still no sign of Darcy. Steven was beginning to get nervous. Had Loki caught her? Was she in danger? Should he leave this hellacious ball and try and find her?

“Steven, has she arrived yet?” His mother asked at his shoulder. 

He shook his head, “No. Not yet”

“Well no matter, we need to get started with dinner anyway. Come sit down”

“Yes mother,” He said with a sigh. 

He was halfway to his seat when someone began to bang on the doors. The noise was loud enough it shocked everyone into silence. Steven could see on everyone’s faces they were confused about who could be arriving so late. But Steven knew who it was, he just  _ knew  _ it was her.

“Dear me, Phil please go get the doors!” The queen called out in the silence.

The man scurried quickly up the steps and opened the ballroom doors, his jaw-dropping to the floor. 

There standing in front of him was the spitting image of Princess Darcy, who most presumed to be dead. 

“Uh… Come in?”

She smiled and glided past Phil and down the stairs. 

Steven smiled when he spotted her and came to stand at the end of the stairs. “You made it!”

She smiled at him, “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world”

  
  


*******

Clint burst through the crack in the building and shot to the top of the water. 

“God, I’m never doing that again!!”

Darcy flipped around, “Clint?”

“The frog talks to?!”

“They all talk Bucky, catch up”

Clint blinked, “Uhh… Anyway, escape time?”

Darcy frowned, “How?”

“Think you can use your beak to make the leak bigger?”

She smiled, “I can certainly try”

“Oh lord, I’m going to die here aren’t I?” Bucky said behind them as he looked up to the ceiling. 

“Who is that guy?” Clint whispered.

“Long story”

  
  


*******

Steven sat next to Darcy as they ate dinner. Everyone around them tried very hard to pretend they weren’t staring. 

Steven really couldn’t blame them. He really  _ had  _ been the only one to believe she was still alive. 

It feels good to be right. 

But Steven still had a job to do. 

He had to make a vow of never-ending love, and prove it to the whole world. Luckily, princesses were here from around the whole world, so this would be easy. 

Clearing his throat, Steven clinked his fork against his chalice. 

The room went silent immediately. 

“Steven?” His mother hissed. 

He looked in her direction and winked. 

“Oh,” She grinned and gave a giggle. “Go on then”

Steven stood up, bringing Darcy with him. “I thank you all for joining us tonight. I know my mother invited you here for… certain purposes… but I am sad to say that it is no longer necessary”

  
  


~

Darcy took a deep breath and dived into the water below. She quickly located the hole and began to peck at it with her beak. 

  
Clint was right next to her, tugging and pulling with his little frog hands. They had to come up for air a couple of times, but they finally got it wide enough for even Bucky to pass through. 

Darcy came up for air once more. “We did it, are you coming with?”

Bucky sighed, “Yeah. You’re as reckless as Stevie, you’re gonna need someone to watch your ass”

“Gee, thanks”

“Lead the way”

Darcy took a deep breath in and dived back for the hole. Bucky followed behind her, and with only a small skirmish with the alligators, they were back on land. 

Sam and Natasha soon joined them, they had been busy trying to distract the alligators. 

“So what’s the plan?” Sam asked. 

“I’m going to fly to the castle and try to get there before Steven says anything to fake me”

“Fake you?”

Darcy nodded, “Yes. Before Loki left, he did some sort of spell to look and sound like me. If Steve tells everyone he loves Loki, and not me, I’ll die”

“Jesus, then what are you doing still sitting here? Get going!” Bucky cried out. 

“Are you coming?”

“I’ll just slow you down, go now. Before it’s too late”

Darcy smiled and took to the sky. 

~

“This woman next to me, this woman is the reason this ball is no longer necessary,” Steven said with a grin. “Yes, she is exactly who you think she is. Princess Darcy, back from the dead. It has been almost three years, but here she is. For the past three years, Darcy has had something of mine that I have been searching to get back. When I saw her again, I decided she could keep it. It was my heart”

~

Darcy flew through the air as fast as she could, she just  _ had  _ to get to the castle on time. She had lost Steve for the last three years, she wasn’t losing him again to death. Well, her death anyway. 

“Please Steven, please don’t”

She flew as fast as she could and arrived at the castle just in time. She could see through a window Steven and Loki standing in front of a huge crowd of people. Steve was giving a speech, so Darcy knew her time was short. 

She went window to window to try and find just  _ one  _ that may be open. She tried tapping the glass, but no one could hear her. 

She tried the doors, the cellar, the tunnels, but nothing was open to her. Darcy was frantic now, she had to get to Steven somehow. 

~

“Yes, Princess Darcy owns my heart, she always has. I love her with all my heart, and I wanted to prove it to the whole world.” Steven turned to Darcy and smiled, “I love you Darcy”

~

“Nooo!!!” Darcy cried, feeling the spell take effect. “Steven!!”

Already her body felt weak, and she knew her time was coming soon. Dropping down from the castle, Darcy began to fly back towards the lake. If she was going to die, it would be around friends.

~

The crowd clapped as Steven made his announcement, he smiled over at Darcy. 

“Is this enough to break the spell? Was my vow towards the whole world enough?”

Darcy grinned and stepped away from him. “Oh yes my prince, it was enough. Your vow of never-ending  _ death!” _

Lights flashed throughout the room, and a tall man stood in the place of Darcy.

“What? Where’s Darcy??” Steve cried.

Loki grinned, “Couldn’t make it I’m afraid. Luckily I was here to stand in her place, though that did just signed her death warrant.” Loki turned and pointed out a window, Steven could see a swan in the distance. “Yes my dear prince, your little Darcy is back to the lake,  _ if  _ she can make it that far.”

“No, no! That vow was for her!” Steven yelled, pulling out his sword. 

“Ooo, big boy are we? The spell doesn’t work like that, I’m afraid.” Loki blew Steven a kiss and disappeared in a puff of smoke. 

Steven let out another yell and ran for the ballroom doors. 

“Steven, no!” His mother cried. 

Steve didn’t bother to respond, he had to save Darcy if it was the last thing he did. 

“I’m coming Darcy, hold on for me” He cried out as he jumped onto the nearest horse and took off into the forest. 

~

Darcy began to flap her wings slower and slower, her eyes beginning to close with fatigue. If only she could make it just a little bit farther. Just a little bit farther. 

~

Steve pushed his horse hard, trying his damnedest to beat the clock of time. 

_ You know what, little prince? I think I’ll be nice. If you can make it in time, I think I’ll let you have a minute or two with her before she dies.  _ **_If_ ** _ you can make it.  _

Steve grunted, and pushed his horse harder. He wouldn’t let the warlock get to him. Suddenly, his horse reared up, knocking him from his seat. 

Steve let out a gasp as he fell to the floor, his horse already racing off. “Guess I’m doing the rest on foot”

_ Hurry, hurry, little prince _

  
  


~

“Is that her?” Bucky called out to the animals as he saw something flying through the air. 

“It is… Oh god, is she gonna make it?” Clint asked.

“She will, come on girl, come on,” Sam answered. 

They all watched as Darcy dropped more and more, before eventually dropping to the ground below. 

“She made it her, but it looks like she didn’t make it to the castle” Natasha said sadly, already making her way over. 

Darcy was switching back to her human form as they raced to her, but they knew it was too late. She was almost gone. 

  
  


~

Steve raced through the woods, ignoring the calls from Loki’s ethereal sounding voice. He just had to get to her, he just  _ had  _ to. 

He burst through the trees near the lake and the abandoned castle. “Darcy? Darcy!” He called out but didn’t receive any response. 

Spinning around he noticed Bucky and a couple of animals next to Darcy’s prone human form. “No… no, please, no”

Steve jogged over and dropped to his knees next to Darcy, pulling her into his arms. “Darcy?”

“Steve?” She said quietly. 

“I’m here Darcy, I’m here.”

“Steve, I feel so weak”

Steve could feel tears pool from his eyes, “I know Darcy. Everything is going to be okay”

“No, it’s not.” She gave him a small, sad smile. “I love you Steve”

Steve opened his mouth, but she was already gone. “No, Darcy, no! The vow was for her, dammit, the vow was for her!!”

“Woah, no need to shout”

Steven laid Darcy down on the ground and stood up to face Loki. “You bring her back goddammit, right now!”

“Ooo, sorry. Necromancy is not part of my repertoire.”

Steven growled and stalked towards Loki, sword already in hand. 

“Awww, so cute with your little sword.” Loki grinned. “If a fight will make you feel better, by all means.”

Taking two steps back, Loki transformed into a magnificent and ghastly looking monster. 

“Dear God, it’s not what it seems… You-you’re the great animal!”

“Took you long enough” Loki hissed before swiping at Steve with his wing. 

Steve was able to duck just in time and bring his sword up to cut at the man. Loki let out a wail of pain when the strike went true. The beast went higher into the air and dived back down to attack at Steve, the man only able to duck and roll to get out of the way. 

“Shit, Stevie’s in trouble.” Bucky yelled, “I don’t have any weapons to help him.”

Sam thought real quick and then turned to Clint. “Loki dropped Steve’s sword and shield in the lake. Go and get them, quick!”

Clint barely had enough time to agree before he was literally picked up in Sam’s beak and tossed into the river. 

Meanwhile, Steve was busy climbing up a nearby tree so he could jump on the beast from above. It wasn’t the smartest plan, but it was one he hoped would work. 

Steve jumped on the beast’s back and plunged his sword into his neck. Loki let out a huge wail and started to flail around, knocking Steve from his back and onto the floor once more. 

It took Clint awhile to get the sword and shield up from the bottom of the lake, and he would have never been able to get them up by himself if Natasha hadn’t come along. They burst out of the water and threw the weaponry in Bucky’s direction.

“Thanks” He said quickly before rushing off to help Steve. 

Steve was feeling the pain in his ribs from his fall but knew he couldn’t stay on the ground for much longer than a few seconds. Eventually, Loki would get that sword out of his back and there would be hell to pay. 

“Need a hand?”

Steve looked up, “Where the hell have you been?”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m here now. Here’s your shield” He handed it over to Steve. “I’m keeping the sword though, gotta have something to watch your back with”

Steve rolled his eyes, “Thanks. Have a plan?”

“Attack?”

“Not a good plan.”

“Only one I got”

Steve groaned and looked up at the beast that was still trying to get the sword from its back. “Think I can knock it free with the shield?”

“Can’t hurt to try”

Steve grinned and took a step back, wound back his arm, and let his shield fly. It struck against the sword and knocked it free to fall to the forest floor. Steve quickly grabbed it plus his shield and came back to Bucky’s side. 

Loki roared in their direction and dived at them, both men swinging their weapons in his direction. The rest of the battle with the beast followed in the same manner. Bucky and Steve getting in a few hits, the beast hitting back at them, over and over. 

“We can’t keep this up for much longer Stevie. We have to think of something”

“I know, I know…” Steve looked up at the beast from where they were hiding behind a nearby tree. “Okay, this plan may sound improbable. But I’m going to need you to throw your sword as hard as you can in the beast’s direction. Aim for the heart”

“That’s not going to work”

“It will if I throw my shield at the sword to knock it into place”

Bucky shot Steve an incredulous look. “That is the most insane plan I have ever heard”

“It’s the only plan I’ve got”

“The things I do for you, I swear… Tell me when”

Steve looked up at the beast, waited until it turned in their direction, and shouted “Now!”

Bucky grabbed the sword by the hilt and threw it towards the beast. Steve waited a few seconds, and then spun his shield right after it. His shield was able to knock into Bucky’s sword at just the right moment, tunneling the weapon into Loki’s chest. 

The beast let out its loudest wail yet and burst into a flood of light. 

“That actually worked?” Bucky said in astonishment. “Well, hell, Stevie that actually worked!” Bucky turned to look over at Steve, but the man was no longer next to him. It only took an extra second of looking before Bucky found Steve next to Darcy’s prone form. 

Steve had Darcy cradled in his arms. “I’m so sorry Darcy that I couldn’t save you. I love you so much, and for so many different reasons. I love that you’re never afraid to speak your mind and let everyone know what you’re thinking. I love that you’re kind and gentle and always follow your heart. I love the look on your face when you open a new book, when you close your eyes to take a deep breath at its smell. I love how smart and witty you are, and how you never need to cheat at cards. I always have, I was just too much of a coward to say it.” He pressed his cheek to her chest, “I love you, Darcy. You’re my whole world”

His eyes closed as pain ripped through his heart, but quickly shot open again. From where he had his cheek resting against her chest, he could feel her breathing!

“Darcy?”

She opened her eyes slowly. “Steve? Steven? I’m… alive?”

He let out a wet laugh, “I guess you are. Thank god, I love you Darcy”

She smiled, “I love you too”

  
  


*******

The wedding bells rang out as Steve and Darcy stepped from the chapel. The roar of the citizens from two kingdoms accompanied them as their crowns were pressed upon their heads at the doorway. 

“Are you happy my queen?” Steve asked her as they trotted over to the waiting carriage. 

“Never been happier. I just wish my father was here to see me”

“He’s here, in our hearts”

She smiled and rested her head against his chest, waving to the crowd as they passed by to the palace. 

“So.. you going to give Clint that kiss now?”

“Only if you give Natasha one. I want to see if they actually  _ were  _ putting under spells”

Steve chuckled, “Deal”

“Steve?”

“Yes?”

“Will you love me, until the day I die?”

“Oh no, much longer than that. Much  _ much _ longer”

  
  


_ The End _

**Author's Note:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))


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